Age-related changes affect not only our skin, but our hair as well. After 40 years, they become especially noticeable. These are signs of dryness and brittleness, thinning and loss of curls, loss of shine and, of course, gray hair. How to solve all these age problems? Can you fight them? Using the advice of experts in this area, we will tell you more about each issue.
Gray
How quickly gray hair appears is inherent in our body at the genetic level. This is often a hereditary phenomenon. That is, if your mother’s gray hair appeared only after 50 years, it is likely that you will also be the happy owner of richly pigmented hair. But, unfortunately, there are cases when gray hair can manifest itself already in high school, and there is no getting away from it.
We cannot influence the absence of gray hair, and this is the main problem in age-related changes in female curls. Sometimes gray hair is manifested from excessive and prolonged stress, wear and tear, certain diseases. Gray hair appears from the fact that the endocrine gland stops producing the pigment melanin. Therefore, the gray color of the curls is not a color at all, but its complete absence.
The main (and only) solution is hair coloring. It should be remembered that young hair with a denser and stronger structure is much better filled with dye pigment and retains it longer. Gray hair, which is hollow and weaker, loses color much faster. In addition, on completely gray curls, color can appear in different ways, sometimes with even the most unexpected result.
It is better if the staining is carried out by an experienced master, as well as with the help of professional tools. Depending on the selected shade, the roots will need to be tinted regularly, and the darker the color of the paint, the more often. For gray hair, masters recommend lighter shades, not dark and saturated ones. Along with tinting the roots, sometimes you will need to update the color along the entire length.
And by the way, remember that “gray” hair color is a big trend today. Even young girls deliberately turn into silvery-gray beauties. And it looks very stylish, you must agree!
Hair thinning
Loss of thickness is also a fairly common age-related change. Of course, it is stronger and more common in men than in women. Trichologists also argue that hair thinning is more common in brunettes (by nature) than in blondes. Brunettes tend to have thicker, but less hair. In blondes, on the contrary: hair is thin and soft, but the number of hair follicles on the head is greater.
With age, the hair follicles weaken, some of them die off completely and do not recover. It can also depend on stress factors, certain diseases, improper and unbalanced diet and diet, and medication. Local baldness in one place may depend on the fact that you have not changed your hairstyle for years and get used to combing one part.
Experts recommend changing the parting more often, forcing the hair to lie down in different directions, and also not combing it up in tight tails and buns to avoid weakening the hair follicles. Also, do not sleep on one side all the time, but ideally get a silk pillowcase or tie your hair under a silk scarf at night. Use less hair dryers and thermal styling devices, use thermal protection and do not get carried away with styling cosmetics. For care, be sure to choose products that strengthen the roots and stimulate the growth of new hair.
Brittleness and dryness
In addition to the fact that hair loses pigment with age, it also loses a large amount of proteins and keratin. These components are building blocks for curls, provide their density, structure uniformity, firmness and elasticity, moisture and shine. The first signs of protein and keratin loss are increased fragility and split ends, dryness and lack of moisture, the constant absorption of this moisture from the air, which causes the hair to frizzy.
Dryness is generally caused by frequent use of a hair dryer. The scalp is irritated and dry and begins to secrete more sebum. As a result, you wash your hair more often and use a hairdryer more often. It is worth enduring and breaking this circle so that the scalp calms down and the secretion of sebum decreases. Try to wash your hair 2 times a week, on other days it is better to braid your hair or pull it up.
Brittleness can occur due to too aggressive coloring agents and frequent use of an iron or curling iron. Choose gentle ammonia-free paints and light tint products. Care cosmetics should contain the very proteins, keratin, collagen, peptides and amino acids, vitamins E and A. Introduce more healthy Omega-3 fats into the diet: red fish, unrefined vegetable oils, nuts and legumes, dairy products, avocados.
Loss of shine and volume
Volume is lost precisely because the hair is thinning, the number of hair follicles decreases. And the very structure of curls can change from curly to straight (or vice versa), from denser to thin and brittle. When styling, the hair falls differently, the volume is lost very quickly. And the use of a hot hair dryer and brush-brushing, corrugated plyeks, large curlers, bouffants and an abundance of styling products only further exacerbate all these problems.
The best solution that experts advise is to change your haircut or hairstyle. Hair that is too long at the age of 40 may look sloppy, there will be no volume at the roots at all. A good shoulder-length bob or a short pixie haircut can drastically change your look for the better. Volume will appear due to the fact that the hair has become lighter, and it will be easy and simple to style such hairstyles. You can also pick up coloring with strands of several light shades, which will create overflows of color and visual volume.
As for the shine of the curls, it is lost due to their increased dryness and fragility, loss of moisture, and insufficient nutrition from the inside. How to deal with dryness and brittleness, we described above: a minimum of exposure to thermal devices, good care products and a balanced diet. Changing the hairstyle and color with light tints can also add visual sparkle.
Slow hair growth
Have you always been proud of long curls? Have you ever wondered how slowly they grow back after a haircut? Unfortunately, this situation can change with age. And one day, having cut your hair under a square, you will be surprised to find how slowly your hair grows. This is also associated with age-related changes in our body, with a decrease in the number of hair follicles, with a lack of a sufficient amount of building protein for hair, with stress, with improper care.
As we mentioned above, the easiest way out of the situation is a well-chosen short or medium length haircut. In such a hairstyle, the hair looks much more well-groomed, the more fashionable haircuts are young and add style. But if you still can’t come to terms with slow hair growth or no hair at all, completely rethink your diet in favor of protein and healthy fats, and regularly do hair growth stimulating treatments.
In beauty salons, you can be offered mesotherapy and injections that stimulate blood circulation and even the appearance of new hair follicles. At home, you can rub special means in ampoules into the roots. It is better not to use folk remedies like essential oils or chili peppers, which are highly irritating to the scalp and can cause burns, and use professional cosmetics.
Author: Tatiana Maltseva
